September is National Preparedness Month

Although September is almost over, it’s not too late to prepare for emergencies and disasters as a part of National Preparedness Month!

Recent studies and surveys show that:

39% of parents say their child’s Head Start/child care center or preschool had experienced an emergency in the past two years.

Only modest improvement had been made in household preparedness (23% in 2003 to 35% in 2015);

A lack of confidence remains in local governments to respond to disasters; and

Families remain unfamiliar with school or child care disaster plans.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) outlines tips and additional resources to help you get better prepared on its website. Once of those resources is the AAP Family Readiness Kit, which assists families in getting disaster-ready.

Preparedness experts, parents, and child care providers contributed to this kit, which includes general guidelines for readiness that can be used in most situations, including how to:

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Check out our blog to read tips and advice from our staff on creating a positive experience for our littlest learners in quality child care, preschool, or school-age programs. We’re eager to share our stories and expertise with you!

Crib and Mattress Safety: What to Look for at Child Care Facilities

We hope you enjoy this guest post from the experts at the Sleep Help Institute. If you have additional questions about safe sleeping practices, please contact our Infant/Toddler specialists. Child safety is always at the forefront of both the minds of parents and child care providers. When it comes to sleep safety, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) developed requirements to